by Mike Garafolo, USA TODAY Sports

by Mike Garafolo, USA TODAY Sports

Four years ago, Plaxico Burress sparked the same conversations people are having today about athletes and guns. And he's not confident anything will change just because Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher fatally shot his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, then committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.

"It will (be a topic) for a little while. But over time something else will happen, and we'll be having the same discussion then," Burress told USA TODAY Sports by phone this week.

"Things like this happen to people every day. It just happened to be Jovan, somebody that we knew. That's why we're having this discussion. But it goes on in society all the time."

He added: "It's not really the culture of the NFL, it's about what's going on in society today."

Burress, who accidentally shot himself in the leg four years ago, realizes the murder-suicide is just the latest reminder that the culture of the NFL, and society in general, isn't changing.

"It's definitely a personal thing because you make up your mind to own it," Burress said. "Whether you want to own a gun or not, that's up to you.

"People are going to make up their mind about what they're going to do. I've had conversations with guys about my incident and what happened. Unfortunate things can happen, but it ultimately comes down to the person.

"You can speak to somebody until you're blue in the face, but people are going to do what they're going to do," he added. "That's just the way it is. You can encourage people and give them different options on whatever they want to do, but at the end of the day people are going to make their own."

But even Burress realizes there's a trend developing in the NFL, whether related to repeat brain injuries or not.

"It's the kind of thing that's been going on around the NFL for the past four or five years with these suicides and different things," he said. "Not even about the gun thing; it was just the last option he felt he had.

Like most of the NFL, Burress and his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates didn't believe the news when it broke on Saturday morning. Soon thereafter, it became clear the reports were accurate.

NBC's Bob Costas created a stir during the Sunday Night Football broadcast when he cited FOXSports.com Jason Whitlock's anti-gun column and added some similar thoughts of his own. Many have countered by saying Belcher could've enacted violence with another weapon or even his bare hands.

Burress signed a pledge with the National Urban League Celebrity Empowerment Challenge after leaving prison last year, stating he would mentor young adults on the dangers of firearms and on how to lead an overall healthy lifestyle. Burress said he hasn't had any talks with his teammates over the gun issue in recent days and only brings it up if asked about it.

But he understands the conversation will occur. And he realizes this won't be the last time, either.